Tape measure

ABSTRACT

A tape measure including a housing defining an interior and an exterior, where the housing has an opening. A spool is rotatable within the interior of the housing. A tape is at least partially coiled around the spool and extends through the opening of the housing. The tape is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A biasing member is disposed within the interior of the housing, and the biasing member biases the tape towards the retracted position. The tape measure further includes a bumper disposed at least partially within the housing and having a channel that receives the tape such that the tape extends through the channel. The bumper is movable relative to the housing and is configured to move in response to movement of the tape.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to tape measures. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to tape measures having mechanisms to improvetape retraction and tape control.

SUMMARY

In one construction, an embodiment of the invention provides a tapemeasure including a housing defining an interior and an exterior, wherethe housing has an opening. A spool is rotatable within the interior ofthe housing. A tape is at least partially coiled around the spool andextends through the opening of the housing. The tape is movable betweenan extended position and a retracted position. A biasing member isdisposed within the interior of the housing, and the biasing memberbiases the tape towards the retracted position. The tape measure furtherincludes a bumper disposed at least partially within the housing andhaving a channel that receives the tape such that the tape extendsthrough the channel. The bumper is movable relative to the housing andis configured to move in response to movement of the tape.

In another construction, an embodiment of the invention provides a tapemeasure including a housing defining an interior and an exterior, wherethe housing has an opening. A spool is rotatable within the interior ofthe housing. A tape is at least partially coiled around the spool andextends through the opening of the housing. The tape is movable in afirst direction between an extended position and a retracted position. Abiasing member is disposed within the interior of the housing, and thebiasing member biases the tape towards the retracted position. A bumperis disposed proximate the opening of the housing and is engageable withthe tape. The bumper is configured to move in a second direction that isdifferent from the first direction in response to movement of the tape.

In yet another construction, an embodiment of the invention provides abumper for use with a tape measure that includes a housing defining aninterior and having an opening, a tape at least partially disposedwithin the housing and extending through the opening, where the tape ismovable between an extended position and a retracted position and isbiased towards the retracted position. The bumper includes a guidemember having a channel for receiving the tape such that the tapeextends through the channel. The guide member is configured to guide thetape through the opening of the housing along a first direction relativeto the housing. The bumper further includes a damping member extendingfrom the guide member and defining an engagement element. The engagementelement is configured to couple the bumper to the housing while enablingthe bumper to move in a second direction relative to the housing, wherethe second direction is different than the first direction.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tape measure including one embodimentof a bumper in a down position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape measure of FIG. 1 with aportion of the housing and tape removed and the bumper in the downposition.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tape measure of FIG. 1 with thebumper in an up position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tape measure of FIG. 1 with aportion of the housing and tape removed and the bumper in the upposition.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a tape guide suitable for use witha tape measure.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the tape guide of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the bumper of FIGS. 5 and 6 engaged with aportion of the tape measure housing, where the bumper is in the downposition.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the bumper of FIGS. 5 and 6 engaged with aportion of the tape measure housing, where the bumper is in the upposition.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the tape measure of FIG. 1 with aportion of the housing removed and the tape engaging with the bumper inthe down position.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tape measure of FIG. 1 with aportion of the housing removed and the tape engaging with the bumper inthe up position.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a portion of the housing showing oneembodiment of interface surfaces including a flange and a recess.

FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing of a tape and a biasing member.

FIG. 13 is one embodiment of a centrifugal damper.

FIG. 14 is one embodiment of a viscous damper.

FIG. 15 is another embodiment of a viscous damper.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, theterms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variationsthereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirectmountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected”and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connectionsor couplings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Tape measures typically include a housing, a spool, a spring, and a tapecoiled around the spool. The housing substantially encloses the spool,the spring, and the tape. The housing is provided with an openingthrough which the tape can be extended from the housing. As the tape isextended, the tape is uncoiled from the spool. When the tapes of sometape measures are uncoiled and then released, the tapes tend toaccelerate during retraction, and can whip back, potentially causingdamage to the tape (e.g., a tear). In particular, when the tape beginsto whip the tape can hit the walls defining the opening of the tapemeasure housing, which can cause the tape to fold over onto itself. Whenretraction continues after the tape folds over itself, the tape may tearor be otherwise damaged.

FIGS. 1-11 illustrate an embodiment of a tape measure 10 with variousparts removed in order to more clearly illustrate and describe the otherparts of the tape measure 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the tapemeasure 10 includes a housing 15 that defines an interior space and anexterior space. The housing 15 includes two opposing side walls 20 and aperiphery wall 25 connecting the side walls 20. The walls 20, 25 have aninternal surface 35 and an external surface 40. The side walls 20 aregenerally parallel to one another. The peripheral wall 25 forms theperimeter of the housing 15. An opening 30 is defined within theperipheral wall 25 of the housing 15. In the illustrated embodiment, theopening 30 is defined by a bottom surface 32 created by the peripheralwall 25, and the two opposing side walls 20. In the illustratedconstruction, the housing 15 is formed from two pieces that attach toone another along a seam to form the housing 15. In other embodimentsthe housing 15 is formed of greater or fewer pieces.

The tape measure 10 includes a spool 45 rotationally supported withinthe housing 15. The spool 45 defines an axis of rotation 50. In theillustrated embodiment the axis 50 extends between the side walls 20 ina direction substantially perpendicular to the side walls 20 andsubstantially parallel to the peripheral wall 25. With reference to FIG.2, the spool 45 includes two circular end walls 55 having an outerdiameter with a cylindrical wall 60 connecting the two circular endwalls 55. The cylindrical wall 60 has a smaller diameter than the outerdiameter of the circular end walls 55 and divides the spool 45 into aninner spool space and an outer spool space. A conduit 65 extends throughthe center of the spool 45 and is sized to receive a post (not shown)that supports the spool 45 for rotation.

With reference to FIGS. 9, 10, and 12, a tape 70 is at least partiallycoiled around the spool 45. The tape 70 includes an upper surface 75 anda lower surface 80 that both extend between a first end 85 and a secondend 90. The first end 85 extends through the opening 30 of the housing15. A hook 95 (FIG. 12) is attached to the first end 85 of the tape 70.The hook 95 functions to both inhibit the first end 85 of the tape 70from being pulled into the housing 15, and to hook 95 surfaces to holdthe first end 85 in a desired position for taking a measurement.

The tape 70 can be extended from the housing 15 to measure a length ordistance and retracted back into the housing 15 where the tape 70 iscoiled around the spool 45. The tape 70 is capable of assuming twodifferent configurations when extended or retracted. In particular, thetape 70 includes an extended portion that is disposed substantiallyoutside of the housing 15, and a retracted portion (not shown) that iscoiled around the spool 45. The extended portion of the tape 70 assumesa curved cross sectional shape and is generally linear when viewed alongits length. The curved cross sectional shape provides additionalstiffness to the tape 70 to allow it to stand-out from the housing 15without support. The portion of the tape 70 that is retracted within thehousing 15 is coiled around the spool 45 and flattens into asubstantially planar cross section to provide a more compact shape whenwound.

The tape 70 is biased towards the retracted position by a biasingmember. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the biasing member is acoiled band 97 that acts as a retraction spring. The coiled band 97couples the second end 90 of the tape 70 to the post (not shown). Thepost 55 extends between the two side walls 20 of the housing 15 alongthe rotational axis 50 (see FIG. 3) of the spool 45. The coiled band 97biases the tape 70 into the retracted position where the tape 70 iscoiled around the spool 45. Once the tape 70 is extended and thenreleased, the coiled band 97 retracts the tape 70 back into the housing15. In other embodiments, the biasing member may include other types ofsprings.

The tape measure 10 further includes a bumper 100, sometimes referred toas a tape guide as illustrated in FIGS. 1-10. However, it should beunderstood that there are many other embodiments of a bumper that arenot shown herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bumper 100 is disposed within thehousing 15 proximate the opening 30. In particular, the bumper 100 ispositioned in the internal space defined by the housing 15, between thespool 45 and the opening 30.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the bumper 100 includes a first portion(hereinafter “the guide member 105”) that guides the tape 70 into thehousing 15 and a second portion (hereinafter “the damping member 110”)that engages with the housing 15 to control movement of the bumper 100.The guide member 105 includes a channel 115 that guides the tape 70 intoand out of the housing 15. The damping member 110 is configured to moverelative to the housing 15 to help absorb some of the force created bythe tape 70 whipping back and forth as the tape 70 is retracted into thehousing 15. As will be explained in greater detail below, this will helpreduce wear on the tape 70.

In the illustrated embodiment, the damping member 110 is plate-like andthe guide member 105 has a triangular shape that extends from below thedamping member 110. In other embodiments, the guide member 105 and thedamping member 110 may have different shapes or configurations.

In the embodiment (which embodiment), the guide member 105 includes afront surface 120, a bottom surface 125, and two side surfaces 130. Thebottom surface 125 of the guide member 105 faces the bottom surface 32of the opening 30 of the housing 15. The side surfaces 130 of the guidemember 105 each face one of the side walls 20 of the housing 15. Thefront surface 120 of the guide member 105 faces the opening 30 so thatthe front surface 120 partially blocks the opening 30. In theillustrated embodiment, a top surface of the guide member 105 is formedby the damping member 110. In other embodiments, the guide member 105and the damping member 110 are separate pieces.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the guide member 105 receives the tape 70within the channel 115 and guides the tape 70 into and out of thehousing 15. Thus, the tape 70 extends through both the channel 115 andthe opening 30. The illustrated channel 115 extends from the frontsurface of the guide member 105 through the damping member 110. Thechannel 115 forms an aperture 135 in the front surface of the guidemember 105. The aperture 135 has a first surface 140 that is engagablewith the upper surface 75 of the tape 70 and a second surface 145 thatis engagable with the lower surface 80 of the tape 70. In theillustrated embodiment, the first surface 140 and the second surface 145are joined together to form a continuous aperture 135. In otherembodiments, the first surface 140 and the second surface 145 arediscontinuous. The channel 115 and aperture 135 can be shaped toaccommodate any cross section of the tape 70. For example, in theillustrated embodiment, the aperture 135 has a curved shape thataccommodates the concave shaped of the tape 70.

Referring back to FIGS. 5 and 6, the illustrated damping member 110 is acurved, or arcuate, plate. The damping member 110 is curved in a firstdirection along its length. The curve of the damping member 110corresponds to the curve of the spool 45. The damping member 110 has twoedges 150 that are spaced apart to define a width of the damping member110. The edges 150 of the damping member 110 are substantially parallelto the side walls 20 of the housing 15. In addition, the damping member110 has an inside surface 155 and an outside surface 160 that bothextend between the edges 150 of the plate. The inside surface 155 facesradially inward towards the spool 45. The outside surface 160 facesradially outward towards the peripheral wall 25 and the opening 30 ofthe tape measure 10.

The guide member 105 extends downward from the outside surface 160 ofthe damping member 110. The width of the damping member 110 is greaterthan a width of the guide member 105 such that the edges 150 of dampingmember 110 extend beyond the side surfaces 130 of the guide member 105.The portions of the damping member 110 extending beyond the sidesurfaces 130 of the guide member 105 form engagement elements 165.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the engagement elements 165 interact with thehousing 15 of the tape measure 10 to control the movement of the bumper100 relative to the housing 15. Specifically, the engagement elements165 control the movement of the bumper 100 by engaging with interfacesurfaces 170 formed on the internal surface 35 of the housing 15. Theinterface surfaces 170 allow movement of the bumper 100 in somedirections and can prevent movement of the bumper 100 in otherdirections. In addition, the interface surfaces 170 can limit the amount(e.g., the distance or degree) of movement of the bumper 100. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, the interface surfaces 170 are formedby flanges 175 and recesses 180. In other embodiments, the interfacesurfaces 170 can be formed by other elements such as rails or camsurfaces.

The bumper 100 is maintained within the housing 15 by flanges 175 thatprotrude from the side walls 20 of the housing 15. The flanges 175 arepositioned radially inward of the engagement elements 165, so that theengagement elements 165 are disposed between the flanges 175 and theperipheral wall 25 of the housing 15. The flanges 175 contact theengagement elements 165 to prohibit the bumper 100 from moving radiallyinward, toward the spool 45. Although the flanges 175 limit radialmovement of the bumper 100, the flanges 175 allow the bumper 100 to movealong a path within the housing 15 of the tape measure 10. In theillustrated embodiment, the flanges 175 help guide the bumper 100 toslide back and forth in a circumferential direction within the recesses180.

The recesses 180 are defined within the side walls 20 of the housing 15.The recesses 180 receive the engagement elements 165 of the dampingmember 110 to guide the movement of the bumper 100. As the engagementelements 165 slide within the recesses 180, the bumper 100 partiallyrotates about the axis 50 of the spool 45. The recesses 180 can alsolimit the degree to which the bumper 100 can slide or rotate. Forexample, in the illustrated embodiment, the recesses 180 only extend acertain distance along the side walls 20 of the housing 15, therebylimiting the movement of the bumper 100.

As the bumper 100 slides back and forth, the guide member 105 movesrelative to the opening 30 of the housing 15. Specifically, the aperture135 of the channel 115 moves up and down within the opening 30 of thetape measure 10. The bumper 100 can move from a down position, as shownin FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 9, to an up position, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 8,and 10. In the down position, the bottom surface 125 of the guide member105 is parallel with a bottom surface 32 of the opening 30, and thefront surface 120 of the guide member 105 is generally perpendicular tothe bottom surface 32 of the opening 30. The aperture 135 of the channel115 is in a low position relative to the opening 30 of the tape measure10. When the bumper 100 is in the up position, the guide member 105rotates upward and the aperture 135 of the channel 115 moves towards ahigh position relative to the opening 30 of the tape measure 10. Thebumper 100 can slide freely between these two positions.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, in operation, the tape 70 is extendedand retracted along a first direction 185 (denoted by an arrow), e.g.,the retraction direction. As the tape 70 retracts, the tape 70 may whipup and down in a second direction 190 (denoted by an arrow). Themovement of the bumper 100 accommodates for movement of the tape 70 inthe second direction 190, e.g., movement of the tape 70 in a directionother than the retraction direction 185. Rather than allowing the tape70 to hit the immobile walls of the opening 30, the tape 70 will becushioned by the movement of the bumper 100. For example, if the tape 70begins to whip as the tape 70 is being retracted, the bumper 100 willmove with the movement of the tape 70, thereby adjusting the position ofthe aperture 135 through which the tape 70 is received. As the tape 70whips in an upward direction, the upper surface 75 of the tape 70 willengage with, and be cushioned by the first surface 140 of the aperture135. As the tape 70 whips in a downward direction, the lower surface 80of the tape 70 will engage with, and be cushioned by, the second surface145 of the aperture 135. Since the bumper 100 is not fixed in place andcan absorb some of the movement of the tape 70, the bumper 100 will tendto reduce incidence of the tape 70 folding over on itself duringretraction, thereby helping to reduce wear and possible tearing orbending of the tape 70.

The bumper 100 can move in a variety of ways in order to absorb some ofthe movement of the tape 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the dampingmember 110 slides circumferentially within recesses 180 of the housing15 causing the bumper 100 to move in a rotational direction 195 (denotedby an arrow) about the axis 50 of the spool 45. This movement results inthe guide member 105, and particularly the aperture 135, moving betweenthe up position and the down position. In other embodiments, the bumper100 may move in a linear direction rather than a rotational direction195.

In each of these embodiments, the bumper 100 helps absorb and controlthe movement of the tape 70. Retraction of the tape 70 can also becontrolled by incorporating a braking mechanism 200 (shown in FIGS.13-15) into the tape measure 10 to slow retraction speed. Although thebumper 100 can be effective without the use of a braking mechanism 200,in some embodiments one or more braking mechanisms 200 can be includedin the tape measure 10. Likewise, a braking mechanism 200 can be usedwithout the use of the bumper 100.

In one embodiment, the braking mechanism 200 includes a centrifugaldamper 205 in the tape measure 10. With reference to FIG. 13, thecentrifugal damper 205 includes two masses 210 on the spool 45. Themasses 210 are movable radially outwardly with respect to the spool 45.In addition, the masses 210 are biased towards one another, and towardthe center of the spool 45 by springs 215. When the spool 45 spins andthe velocity increases, the centrifugal force on the masses 210increases. Eventually, the centrifugal force will overcome the springforce and the masses 210 will move away from one another towards theperimeter of the spool 45. As the masses 210 move away from one another,the mass moment of inertia increases proportional to the velocity of thespool 45. When the masses 210 move away from one another against theforce of the spring, the masses 210 create a retarding force thatcounters the acceleration of the tape 70 as it retracts. In someinstances, the centrifugal damper 205 can include a single mass 210 ormore than two masses 210. In addition, the masses 210 can be arranged toslide radially outward in response to the rotation or can pivot outwardabout a fixed point. In fact, any movement that moves the center of masstoward the perimeter in response to rotational speed can be used. In oneembodiment, the masses 210 are configured not to contact the housing 15of the tape measure 10 when they are in the radially outerconfiguration, e.g., the masses 210 do not slow retraction of the tape70 through frictional braking by contacting the housing 15 of the tapemeasure 10.

In another embodiment, the braking mechanism 200 includes a viscousdamper 220 which can be included in the tape measure 10. With referenceto FIGS. 14 and 15, the viscous damper 220 includes an enclosedcompartment 225 containing viscous fluid. The viscous damper 220 furtherincludes an axle 230 having a first end and a second end, where the axle230 defines an axis. A first disk 235 is positioned on the first end ofthe axle 230 and a second disk 240 is positioned on the second end ofthe axle 230. The first disk 235 is enclosed by the compartment 225 andis rotatable within the compartment 225. The second disk 240 is engagedwith the spool 45 and rotates with the rotation of the spool 45. Thedisks 235, 240, are fixed relative to the axle 230 such that rotation ofthe spool 45 rotates the second disk 240, which, in turn, rotates theaxle 230 and the first disk 235 within the compartment 225. In someembodiments, the viscous damper 220 does not include a second disk 240,but rather, the second end 90 of the axle 230 directly engages with thespool 45 or otherwise attaches (e.g., via gears). Two wings 245 extendfrom the first disk 235 and are enclosed by the compartment 225. Thewings 245 are spaced apart from one another and extend radially outwardfrom the first disk 235. In some circumstances, greater or fewer wings245 can be included. In some cases, the viscous damper 220 does notinclude wings 245. FIG. 14 illustrates one possible arrangement of thewings 245. In this arrangement, the wings 245 extend from the surface ofthe first disk 235 and provide a large surface area that must rotatethrough the fluid. This arrangement produces a large pressure drag toslow the rotation. FIG. 15 illustrates another arrangement in which thewings 245 are arranged to provide a smaller cross sectional area thatrotates into the fluid but still a large area that interacts with thefluid during rotation. This arrangement relies more on frictional dragthen pressure drag. As one of ordinary skill in the art will realize,many different arrangements of viscous dampers 220 are possible, therebyallowing for precise control of the forces generated in response torotation.

As the tape 70 retracts, the spool 45 rotates causing the axle 230 andthe first disk 235 to rotate. The viscous fluid within the compartment225 creates a drag force (pressure and/or frictional), which resists therotation of the first disk 235 and wings 245 within the compartment 225.The drag force slows the rotation of the first disk 235, and therebyslows the rotation of the spool 45 and retraction speed of the tape 70.The wings 245 create additional resistance to the rotational force andfurther slow the retraction speed of the tape 70. In some constructions,a speed increasing gear arrangement is employed so that the axle 230rotates at a speed greater than the speed of the tape measure 10 toenhance the damping effect of the damper.

1. A tape measure, comprising: a housing defining an interior and anexterior, the housing having an opening; a spool rotatable within theinterior of the housing; a tape at least partially coiled around thespool and extending through the opening of the housing, the tape beingmovable between an extended position and a retracted position; a biasingmember disposed within the interior of the housing, the biasing memberbiasing the tape towards the retracted position; and a bumper disposedat least partially within the housing and having a channel that receivesthe tape such that the tape extends through the channel, the bumperbeing movable relative to the housing and configured to move in responseto movement of the tape.
 2. The tape measure of claim 1, wherein thetape extends through the opening in a first direction and wherein thebumper moves in response to movement of the tape in a second directionthat is different than the first direction.
 3. The tape measure of claim2, wherein the first direction is a linear direction and the seconddirection is a rotational direction.
 4. The tape measure of claim 1,wherein the bumper includes a damping member defining an engagementelement that moveably engages the housing and enables the bumper to moverelative to the housing to at least partially absorbs the movement ofthe tape.
 5. The tape measure of claim 4, further comprising aninterface surface disposed in the interior of the housing, the interfacesurface engaging with the engagement element to guide the movement ofthe bumper, wherein the interface surface includes at least one from thefollowing list: a flange, a recess, a cam surface, and a rail.
 6. Thetape measure of claim 5, wherein the interface surface prevents thebumper from moving in a radial direction towards the spool and enablesthe bumper to move in a circumferential direction.
 7. The tape measureof claim 4, wherein the damping member is an actuate plate with edgesthat engage with recesses formed in the housing such that the edgesslide within the recesses to move the bumper relative to the housing. 8.The tape measure of claim 1, wherein the channel has a curvedcross-section that is concentric to a curved cross-section of the tape.9. A tape measure, comprising: a housing defining an interior and anexterior, the housing having an opening; a spool rotatable within theinterior of the housing; a tape at least partially coiled around thespool and extending through the opening of the housing, the tape beingmovable in a first direction between an extended position and aretracted position; a biasing member disposed within the interior of thehousing, the biasing member biasing the tape towards the retractedposition; and a bumper disposed at least partially within the housingbetween the opening and the spool, the bumper engagable with the tapeand configured to move in a second direction that is different from thefirst direction in response to movement of the tape.
 10. The tapemeasure of claim 9, wherein the first direction is a linear directionand the second direction is a rotational direction.
 11. The tape measureof claim 9, wherein the bumper includes a first surface and a secondsurface, the first surface engagable with an upper surface of the tapeand the second surface engagable with a lower surface of the tape. 12.The tape measure of claim 11, wherein engagement of the upper surface ofthe tape with the first surface of the bumper moves the bumper towards afirst position relative to the opening of the housing, and whereinengagement of the lower surface of the tape with the second surface ofthe bumper moves the bumper towards a second position relative to theopening of the housing.
 13. The tape measure of claim 9, wherein thebumper includes a damping member moveably connecting the bumper to thehousing and enabling the bumper to move relative to the housing.
 14. Thetape measure of claim 13, wherein the damping member defines anengagement element that engages with an interface surface formed withinthe interior of the housing, the interface surface preventing movementof the bumper in a radial direction towards the spool and enablingmovement of the bumper in a circumferential direction.
 15. The tapemeasure of claim 14, wherein the interface surface includes a flangethat prevents movement of the bumper in the radial direction and arecess that enables movement of the bumper in the circumferentialdirection.
 16. A tape measure, comprising: a housing defining aninterior and an exterior, the housing having an opening; a spoolrotatable within the interior of the housing; a tape at least partiallycoiled around the spool and extending through the opening of thehousing, the tape being movable between an extended position and aretracted position; a biasing member disposed within the interior of thehousing, the biasing member biasing the tape towards the retractedposition; and a bumper movably coupled to the housing, the bumperincluding a first surface and a second surface, the first surfaceengagable with an upper surface of the tape and the second surfaceengagable with a lower surface of the tape, wherein engagement of theupper surface of the tape with the first surface of the bumper moves thebumper towards a first position relative to the opening of the housing,and wherein engagement of the lower surface of the tape with the secondsurface of the bumper moves the bumper towards a second positionrelative to the opening of the housing.
 17. The tape measure of claim16, wherein the first surface and the second surface are formed by achannel extending through the bumper, and wherein the tape extendsthrough the channel.
 18. The tape measure of claim 16, wherein thebumper is movably coupled to the housing by a damping member defining anarcuate plate with edges that engage the housing.
 19. The tape measureof claim 16, further comprising a flange and a recess disposed on theinterior of the housing, the flange configured to prevent the bumperfrom moving in a radial direction and the recess configured to enablethe bumper to move circumferentially within the housing.